This past week has been a busy one. I spent a few hours at the start of the week with my sons grade 3 class showing them how to make gingerbread cookies. I don’t think there are a lot of people who willingly choose to teach 24 – 8 year olds how to bake, in fact, I believe I might have been the only one, but for some reason I felt this was an opportunity to volunteer and have a lot of fun. I had to laugh at all the grossed out expressions when they smelled the molasses that we needed to add. It definitely wasn’t the most relaxing morning, but I’m glad I stepped up to help out.

There have also been the usual Christmas parties and concerts. And of course, some close to last minute, Christmas shopping. It’s always so busy at this time of year. I’ve been having a hard time focusing on meal planning and creating, so I’ve fallen back on some old recipes. One of those recipes is this Italian Sausage Penne. It’s quick and easy, and best of all, it’s a dish that everyone in my family enjoys.

This recipe has been around in our house for a number of years. It’s actually something my mom used to make when I was a teenager and has been carried over into my house. I’m not sure where the original recipe came from, although my guess would be either a Canadian Living magazine, a Company’s Coming cookbook or from one of my moms severalBest of Bridge cookbooks. Those seemed to be the most prominent cookbooks in our house at the time. This recipe takes 30 minutes, it doesn’t have too many ingredients and it’s super simple. Exactly what I’ve needed these past couple of weeks. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with the fast-approaching holidays, hopefully this recipe will help you out, as well.

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

500g Italian sausage

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 – 398 mL cans of diced tomatoes

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

375g package of penne (mine was 454g, so I used a bit less than the whole thing)

Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook the penne according to the package directions. Drain the penne, then place it back in the pot and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Add the sausages and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are browned and cooked throughout. Remove from the pan and set aside until cook enough to handle. Drain most of the drippings, leaving only about 1 tbsp.

Add the onions to the hot skillet and cook for just a few minutes until beginning to sweat, then add the garlic. Continue cooking for about 1 minute before adding in the tomatoes, basil and oregano. Stir together and bring to a simmer over low heat.

While the sauce is simmering, slice the cooled italian sausage into 1/2″ think slices. Add it to the skillet and continue cooking until the sauce is thickened and the sausage is warmed through.

Pour the sauce over the penne and stir. Serve with fresh parsley and parmesan. Serves 4 – 6

Like this:

With Christmas only a few weeks away, the month of December is full of celebrations. We’re always entertaining or going to someone else’s house to be entertained with an appy or treats to share. I love appetizers and would eat most of my meals this way if I could. One of my favourites has always been stuffed mushrooms. I have a few variations that I’ve made in the past, usually seafood or veggie based, but this time I decided to play around with a meatier version and used italian sausage. I used the mild variety but you could use hot italian sausage if you like things a bit spicier.

Most of the time I like having my kids help me in the kitchen, but if I’m playing around with a new recipe idea I like to work on it when my kids are at school. It makes it a bit easier to focus on what I’m doing. Let’s face it, this whole baby brain thing doesn’t seem to ever fully go away. If I don’t act on a thought quickly, it could be lost forever. For this recipe that meant I had to uncork a bottle of red at 10:30 am since my daughter gets home from preschool at 11:30. I’m not shy around wine (obviously, given the name of my blog), but it did feel really weird opening a bottle of red wine that early in the day. Maybe it’s just that it felt odd to cook with it while not being able to drink it. In any case it might be time to change things a bit and start cooking later in the day.

24 mushrooms, stems removed

1 lbs Italian sausage

1 Cup onion, diced small

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Cup fennel, diced small

1/2 Cup red wine

1/2 Cup roasted red peppers, diced

1/4 – 1/2 Cup bread crumbs

1/4 Cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 Cup parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.

In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Remove the sausage from the casing and add it to the skillet with the onions, garlic and fennel. Continue cooking, breaking the sausage up as you go, until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables have softened. Stir in the roasted red peppers and then add in the wine, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for a minute or two. Mix in the breadcrumbs a little at a time until any liquid is absorbed. Gently toss in the parsley and basil.

Fill the mushroom caps with the sausage mixture and place on a baking sheet. Top each cap with some parmesan cheese and bake for 15 – 20 minutes.